Lynn Ruane (Independent) | Oireachtas source

I would like to add my voice to those of the two previous speakers. I would be happy to sign Fianna Fáil's motion on what is happening at the US-Mexican border, which is nothing short of evil when we see the pictures of those children being separated from their parents.

I welcome last week's report that CURA, the Catholic Church's crisis pregnancy agency run by the bishops, has closed its doors for the final time. The service had been open since 1977 and had allowed the Catholic ethos to determine the advice it gave to women, even when it was at odds with the best interests of women attending it. In such circumstances, its closure is to be welcomed. The decision was attributed to an RTÉ report on a declining demand for its services and a "new regulatory environment for counselling". It cannot be a coincidence that the closure came only a few short weeks after the Minister for Health, Deputy Harris, moved to clamp down on rogue crisis pregnancy agencies through regulation and following extensive investigation and work by the Irish edition of The Times.

I raise the issue of CURA for another reason other than welcoming its closure. It relates to a number of correspondences I have received in which the correspondents make a fair point. It may have been considered already but I ask the Leader to inquire from his party whether consideration will be given to handing over to the State the records of the 160,000 women advised by this organisation. When we consider the Adoption (Tracing and Information) Bill, St. Patrick's Guild and everything else that has been happening in the past while, 160,000 women attended this rogue crisis agency and the data it has might be hugely important in the current climate in terms of forced illegal adoptions in this State. I recall that a part was carved out of the Data Protection Bill that waves all data protection laws when it is in the public interest, and seeking the data from CURA might be in the public interest in terms of illegal adoptions in Ireland. It is worth considering it at least, and I will look to the Leader for feedback on whether progress has been made on that.